band and disbud at same time?

deetu · #1 05/17/10, 12:58 AM

Now I know this was discussed here before but my search is just not working so...
Can you castrate and disbud a kid at the same time at a 12 days old?
I know that everyone has a different opinion on what age to castrate but I am going with the ones who say to do it when you can feel the testicles so it doesn't hurt to band as much.

One year I disbudded, then waited to tattoo, then waited to band... the goats hated me.
I have been disbudding and tattooing at the same time to get it over with at a young age so they don't remember when they are older. Messy for me...getting ink over everything but better.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 05/17/10, 05:30 AM

Twelve days is too late for disbudding for my goats, especially the bucklings. The horn bud base gets too big by then, and you'll get scurs.

topside1 · #3 05/17/10, 07:00 AM

Alice is right, I burn @ 3-5 days old if not your flirting with scurs. Banding on my farm happens around 2 months old, never a problem...Topside

Alice In TX/MO · #4 05/17/10, 07:21 AM

Also, I have mainly LaManchas, so I *have* to wait till they are older to tattoo. Not much room on those itty bitty tails.

**mygoat** · #5 05/17/10, 09:07 AM

I disbud when I can feel the horn bud. Usually, that's the day after they're born in bucklings. With doelings I've waited up to 5 days old. Now, I just shave the area so I can see the shiny horn bud and disbud them all before 3 days old. The earlier the better... at 12 days, I'd be seriously worried about bad scurs.

As for castration, I just did a boy at 12 days old. He was a bottle baby and he REALLY hated me for about two days after. He was the worst I've ever seen, acted in pain and miserable. Most bucklings I've found will mope for a few hours but will be out and running still. This guy just laid in his cage and wouldn't finish his bottle for a day and a half after being castrated. Then the morning his new owner came to pick him up, he was perky and running around again. IMO, the urinary tract is as developed as it needs to be when they're born. Waiting longer won't help develop the urinary system or help to prevent urinary calculi - proper feeding of a wether or buck prevents urinary calculi. If waiting to castrate helped prevent UC, then less bucks or bucklings (intact) would get UC. From what I hear, it's about even between bucks and wethers.

With dam raised kids, it doesn't take much to get them to hate you. Heck, startle them once and you won't be able to get within arm's reach. That's why I butcher all my dam raised kids, usually wethers. They're usually WILD has heck!

deetu · #6 05/17/10, 09:42 AM

BUT is it okay to do the disbudding and banding at the same time?

I waited on disbudding this kid because he was a runt and needed the extra time for growing.

**mygoat** · #7 05/17/10, 11:25 AM

I don't see why not. I often band and tattoo at the same time, I assume this would be similar.